Shock rise in homelessness among East Lancashire families (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Shock rise in homelessness among East Lancashire families
12:00pm Thursday 27th December 2012 in News
DEMAND for support from homeless services in East Lancashire has rocketed by 50 per cent in just one year, campaigners say.
Increased living costs coupled with benefits being axed and council cut-backs have been blamed for the shock increase.
Among one of the biggest rises is blamed on young families who cannot afford to put food on the table.
And donations are also down as benefactors also feel the pinch.
The Thomas Centre in Black-burn, founded by Father Jim McCartney, currently has more than 600 homeless registered with its drop-in centre — a rise from around 400 people since January.
And in Pendle a major campaign to hand out food parcels has been inundated with requests from working families who cannot afford to get by.
Angela Pasquill, volunteer co-ordinator at Thomas, said: “We’ve registered 204 new people since January.
“Day to day we have about 60 people using our services, and those numbers are increasing rapidly.
“The economic issues are impacting on everyone – and we now have young families coming to us who can’t afford to eat.
“It’s just as important to offer support to them, as it is to support people living in hostels. This means we need more supplies and I have never seen our stocks so low. Our cupboards are half as full as they usually are.
“The people who do donate are perhaps only donating half as much as they did last year, because at the end of the day, they have to look after their own. I really don’t know how we will go on doing the work we do if the economy remains like this.
“Looking forwards, if the number keeps growing at the rate it currently is, then without more donations, it’s going to be difficult to find the funds to keep going.”
Thomas also gives support to people battling addiction.
Another challenge is finding enough volunteers to help cope with the increase in service users accessing the Drop-In.
Many of the volunteers are in recovery, having just completed THOMAS’ 12 steps programme.
Angela added: “I have to look after them too and we have to pay their travel expenses and feed them.
“We couldn’t do it without them, but the workload is just becoming too much.”
A major campaign has taken place in Pendle to help people in need. Nelson Town Council chairman Eileen Ansar along with local Beavers, Rainbows, Scouts and Guides, have handed out hundreds of food parcels to people struggling to make ends meet.
She said: “We have never seen such demand for help. I have never know a Christmas like it.
“The people who we are helping are not just those on benefits but people with jobs who just cannot afford to pay the bills and get through Christmas.”
Comments(9)
mavrick
says...
12:18pm Thu 27 Dec 12
I believe the figures we are seeing are going to rise even faster as the Tories slash benefits even further. The demonisation of people on benefits has caused severe stress on individuals and families to the point of break up.We all knew some people were ripping off the system and should have been named and shamed, But the Tories used the sensationalised cases as a way to justify their attack on public services. The NHS the welfare system, the social services system in fact anything that is there to help the struggling people in this country. Their rich friends and bankers have walked away laughing. They should remember they did not win the election and have no mandate for these cuts.
louderfasterlonger
says...
12:47pm Thu 27 Dec 12
Rather than offering charity to unfortunate families and individuals we are penalising them through draconian measures. What provision have the Government made for tennents wishing to move to a smaller property ?
None whatsoever.
To the poor, isolated, and unfortunates....... you will be taxed, taxed and taxed more while the rich laugh all the way to their corrupt banks.
More misery, I expect that in the next year the homeless figures will quadruple with charities left to pick up the pieces.
And to the people of the north who had the audacity to vote Labour - we are cutting budgets and ability to help.
Mothernature
says...
12:49pm Thu 27 Dec 12
bmurtaja
says...
1:03pm Thu 27 Dec 12
e.co.uk/news/1012119
1.Tauheedul_Relief_T
rust_teams_up_with_h
omeless_charity/
http://www.tauheedul
relief.org/
Lancashire based children’s charity Tauheedul Relief Trust has announced it will be working together with Crisis – the UK’s national charity for single homeless people.
The partnership was launched with a series of activities during the week including a fundraising event and the presentation of a £5,000 donation to Crisis by the students and staff of Tauheedul Boys’ School, Blackburn.
Launching the partnership, Kam Kothia, Chair of the Tauheedul Trust and Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire said, “As a global children’s charity, we recognise the plight of homeless young people and children in the UK. Through this partnership, we aim to transform the lives of thousands of young people and develop an educational programme to raise their plight across our schools and network of organisations.”
The Chief Executive of Crisis, Leslie Morphy said, “We are very grateful to the Tauheedul Relief Trust for their kind donation and their work in bringing the plight of homeless young people to greater public attention.”
bmurtaja
says...
1:03pm Thu 27 Dec 12
Noiticer
says...
2:59pm Thu 27 Dec 12
This is the price we are all paying one way or another for a form of neo liberal capitalism copied from the USA. Is this really the way we want our society to operate? I suggest the majority in the UK don't.
workaholic
says...
3:22pm Thu 27 Dec 12
Mothernature wrote:I dissagree with you - my first reaction was complete surprise, and I have to say that my views towards Asian people in general has changed since I read about their donations ! Thank you Asian Community.
Come on mavrick, anything to do with the Asian community (namely the muslim community) is going to attract vicious or snide comments regardless of what they have tried to do to help those who are struggling. Having said that, I would think most peoples first reaction would be one of suspicion.
sen c ble
says...
8:55pm Thu 27 Dec 12
bmurtaja wrote:Good on yer.
http://www.asianimag
e.co.uk/news/1012119
1.Tauheedul_Relief_T
rust_teams_up_with_h
omeless_charity/
http://www.tauheedul
relief.org/
Lancashire based children’s charity Tauheedul Relief Trust has announced it will be working together with Crisis – the UK’s national charity for single homeless people.
The partnership was launched with a series of activities during the week including a fundraising event and the presentation of a £5,000 donation to Crisis by the students and staff of Tauheedul Boys’ School, Blackburn.
Launching the partnership, Kam Kothia, Chair of the Tauheedul Trust and Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire said, “As a global children’s charity, we recognise the plight of homeless young people and children in the UK. Through this partnership, we aim to transform the lives of thousands of young people and develop an educational programme to raise their plight across our schools and network of organisations.”
The Chief Executive of Crisis, Leslie Morphy said, “We are very grateful to the Tauheedul Relief Trust for their kind donation and their work in bringing the plight of homeless young people to greater public attention.”
Mothernature says...
12:16pm Thu 27 Dec 12